The mayor of Abbotsford says the British Columbia farming community has come a long way since devastating flooding in 2021—but still has far to go with long-term recovery and repairing peace of mind for residents.
“People are very anxious,” Ross Siemens said Thursday. “Every time there’s a storm here you get a little nervous.”
Siemens was speaking after a news conference announcing new federal disaster relief funding for the city. He said rebuilding roads and bridges damaged in November 2021 remains the community’s top priority, and many residents worry about what the future holds.
Federal disaster assistance to help B.C. rebuild after the floods now exceeds $1 billion, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said in Abbotsford. The city was among the hardest hit when atmospheric river events swelled rivers that spilled over, forcing thousands from their homes, inundating farmland and drowning thousands of livestock….